MTSS at MGS
Multi Tier System of Supports
By Pat Anderson
August 10, 2010
Students at MGS will notice changes in the schedule for 2010-2011. In an effort to address academic concerns in Reading and Math, each classroom will provide 90 minutes of Core Instruction in Reading and 60 minutes of Core Instruction in Math every day. At each grade level, Math and Reading will be taught at the same time daily. Select students will receive up to one hour of additional instruction in Math and/or Reading each day in addition to Core Instruction provided in the homeroom. PE and Music have been aligned to provide cooperative planning time for grade-level instructors. The goal of MTSS, Multi-Tier System of Supports, is to provide learning opportunities to increase student academic success.
Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) is a term used in Kansas to describe how schools go about providing supports for each child in their building to be successful and the processes and tools teachers use to make decisions. There are two federal laws that have made a difference in how schools deliver and coordinate services for children. The first is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); most recently referred to as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. This Act requires that by the year 2014 all students are to meet the proficiency targets in the areas of reading and math, that schools would have a high graduation rate, and conversely a low dropout rate. The second law influencing districts and schools is the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the federal law that defines special education. The concept of Response to Intervention (RTI) was introduced in the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA and has influenced the way districts identify and serve students with exceptionalities. These two laws, when taken together, support the beliefs and practices behind Kansas' Multi-Tier System of Supports.
MTSS is defined as a coherent continuum of evidence based, system-wide practices to support a rapid response to academic and behavioral needs, with frequent data-based monitoring for instructional decision-making to empower each Kansas student to achieve high standards.
The Core Beliefs of MTSS are listed as follows.
• Every child learns and achieves to high standards
• Learning includes academic and social competencies
• Every member of the learning community continues to grow, learn and reflect
• Every leader at all levels is responsible for every child
• Change is intentional, coherent and dynamic
To achieve the Core Beliefs the framework of MTSS suggests the following:
• Every child will be provided a rigorous and research-based curriculum
• Every child will be provided effective and relentless teaching
• Interventions will be provided at the earliest identification of need
• Policy will be based on evidence based practice
• Every educator will continuously gain knowledge and develop expertise to build capacity and sustain effective practice
• Resources will be intentionally designed and redesigned to match student needs
• Every leader will be responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating
• Academic and behavioral data will be used to inform instructional decisions
• Educators, families and community members will be part of the fundamental practice of effective problem-solving and instructional decision making
• An empowering culture will be enhanced/developed that creates collective responsibility for student success
The main goal of MTSS is for schools to use their resources in ways that enables every child to be successful. This is accomplished by:
• Being prevention oriented: knowing who needs support as early as possible each year and putting those supports in place
• Implementing evidence-based interventions for all students and tailoring interventions based on student’s needs
• Using progress monitoring data to know when to make a change in instruction
